Somalia seeks 20,000 foreign troops as Turkey pledges 15,000 to bolster defences

MOGADISHU (Somaliguardian) – Alarmed by the abrupt withdrawal of Ugandan forces, which reportedly caught the Somali government off guard, President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud has appealed to close allies, including Turkey, to provide 20,000 troops to replace departing Ugandan and other African Union forces and prevent territories vacated by the contingents from falling into the hands of militants, Gaylan Media reported on Friday.

Turkey has reportedly agreed to deploy 15,000 troops to Somalia, with plans to station them in the strategically important towns of Barawe and Baidoa, as well as Mogadishu and its surrounding areas.

The deployment is expected to take place before January 2027 as part of the implementation of a bilateral defence agreement between Mogadishu and Ankara.

Following the arrival of the Turkish forces, Villa Somalia reportedly intends to sever relations altogether with some countries that wield considerable influence over Somalia’s affairs, placing greater reliance on Ankara’s military backing. The government is also said to be contemplating an increasingly confrontational posture towards regional neighbours, particularly Ethiopia and Kenya, whose relations with Mogadishu are already strained and visibly deteriorating.

Turkey is reportedly seeking to convert the airstrips in Barawe and Baidoa into military bases. However, efforts to establish a military installation at Baidoa airstrip have so far proved unsuccessful.

The developments come amid mounting apprehension within the Somali government over its capacity to defend Mogadishu should African Union forces withdraw next year. The departure of Ugandan troops from strategically significant towns in Lower Shabelle, which constitute critical defensive positions protecting the capital, has heightened fears of a potentially widening security vacuum.

Those concerns have been further exacerbated by Kampala’s refusal to accede to President Hassan Sheikh Mohamud’s request for a postponement of its troop withdrawal, leaving Mogadishu increasingly anxious about the security implications of the ongoing drawdown.

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